Tottenham and England winger Andros Townsend will miss the World Cup after being ruled out for up to 10 weeks with an ankle injury.

Townsend was injured in Spurs’ 1-0 win at Stoke City on Saturday and will have surgery on his left ankle on Thursday.

“Following further examination and consultation, Andros Townsend is to undergo surgery on his left ankle after damaging ligaments during our fixture against Stoke City last Saturday,” in a club statement read. “The injury is likely to sideline the young winger for up to 10 weeks.”

Townsend, who left the Britannia Stadium wearing a protective boot and underwent an MRI scan on Monday, burst onto the international stage in October, when he scored in a 4-1 win against Montenegro.

It is a big hit for the England squad who travel to Brazil in the next few months for the Fifa World Cup 2014.